Cachar admin steps in to resolve Pallorband Tea Estate labour dispute

Silchar, Dec 15: Hundreds of labourers from Pallorband Tea Estate and its four division gardens in the Cachar district staged a protest recently, echoing their demands of pending wages, arrears, and Provident Fund dues. 

Following the protest, Cachar District Commissioner Mridul Yadav informed The Assam Tribune on Sunday that a tripartite meeting was held where the manager of the Pallorband Tea Garden has confirmed that on December 16, they will submit their commitment regarding clearing the pending wages and arrears of the labourers. But for the payment regarding the PF and gratuity, the management has sought some more time. The administration has made it clear to the Garden management to respond to the demands for the wages and arrears raised by the labourers, the DC said.

Meanwhile, former Lakhipur MLA and general secretary of Barak Cha Shramik Union (BCSU) Rajdeep Goala also expressed his concerns on the plight of the garden labourers.

“The PF amount of the labourers of the Pallorband Tea Estate, including its four divisions, Alipur, Narainpur, Dologugram, and Scotpur gardens, has been pending for a long time now, which would amount to the tune of over 5 crore,” stated Goala.

“Similarly, the garden management has failed to provide the gratuity amount of over Rs 2 crore to the labourers. Further, the wages and arrear amount of the labourers are also kept pending with a lack of response on the delay in disbursing the pending money from the garden management. The labourers have come to know that the management shall be getting a good amount of compensation from the government against the Bharat Mala project. They had come to the union to seek our intervention on their demands, and they want the statutory dues to be cleared before releasing the compensation to the tea garden management,” Goala maintained.

Goala further asserted that he would be placing the demands before the State Labour Welfare Department Minister Rupesh Gowala soon. 

The labourers also submitted a memorandum to Cachar District Commissioner Mridul Yadav on Friday highlighting their demands.

“Despite our repeated approaches, the garden management is always irregular in paying the weekly wages. The management has violated all norms and has turned a deaf ear to all provisions. All the efforts of our popular union also met a disastrous end,” the labourers alleged in the memorandum.